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Gouda MNR, D S, Gaikwad K, Prabha R, Kumar A, Subramanian S. Elucidation of ejaculatory bulb proteins in Bemisia tabaci Asia-1 and Asia II-1 and confirmation of their mating transfer via RNAi. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:861. [PMID: 39068620 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09816-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bemisia tabaci, a significant agricultural pest in Asia, contains distinct genetic groups, Asia-1 and Asia II-1. Understanding its reproductive biology, particularly the role of ejaculatory bulb proteins (EBPs) in mating, is crucial. However, EBPs in B. tabaci were not well characterised until this study. METHODS AND RESULTS The EBPs have been characterised in the Asia-1 and Asia II-1 genetic groups of the whitefly B. tabaci, prevalent in Asia. The transcriptomic analysis yielded over 40,000,000 and 30,000,000 annotated transcripts, respectively, from Asia II-1 and Asia-1. Differential gene expression revealed the presence of 270 upregulated and 198 downregulated genes, with significant differences between these two genetic groups. Orphan genes (1992 numbers) were identified in both genetic groups. We report, for the first time, full-length sequences of EBP genes from B. tabaci. The 10 EBPs each deduced in B. tabaci Asia-1 and Asia II-1 are structurally akin to chemosensory proteins having four conserved cysteine residues. Additionally, we did domain analysis, protein structure prediction, mapping of these EBPs in the chromosomes of B. tabaci, and phylogenetic analysis to track their evolutionary lineage. We have specifically demonstrated the transfer of EBPs from males to females during mating using qPCR and further validated the transfer of EBPs through RNAi. Specifically, we targeted the highly expressed EBPs (EBP-3, 7, and 8 in BtAsia1; EBP-8, 9, and 10 in BtAsia II-1) through feeding bioassays of dsRNAs. Tracking by qPCR revealed that the females, when mated with dsRNA-treated males, did not show expression of the specific EBP, suggesting that the silencing of these genes in males hinders the transfer of EBP to females during mating. CONCLUSION Our findings provide novel insights into the genomic contours of EBPs in B. tabaci and underscore the potential of RNAi-based strategies for pest management by disrupting the reproductive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M N Rudra Gouda
- Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Sagar D
- Division of Genomic Resources, ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru, 275103, India
| | - Kishor Gaikwad
- Division of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Ratna Prabha
- Agricultural Knowledge Management Unit (AKMU), ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Amrender Kumar
- Agricultural Knowledge Management Unit (AKMU), ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
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Liu Y, Zhang F, Hassan A, Zhou X, Huang Q. Accessory gland protein regulates pairing process and oviposition in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes chinensis after swarming. INSECT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 38576063 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Swarming and pairing behaviors are significant to population dispersal of termites. Tandem running is a key process in pairing behavior of dealates to find a mate. Succinylation can lead to significant changes in protein structure and function, which is widely involved in metabolism and behavior regulation in many organisms. However, whether succinylation modification regulates termites' tandem running is currently unknown. In this research, we performed quantitative modified proteomics of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder before and after alate swarming. The succinylation levels of accessory gland protein (ACP) were significantly altered after alate swarming. We found that ACP is enriched in male accessory gland and female oocytes of termites. The acetylation and succinylation sites of ACP affected tandem running of dealates. The transcriptome and metabolome analyses of alates injected with ACP and its mutant proteins showed that β-alanine metabolism pathway was the major downstream pathway of ACP. Silencing the significantly differentially expressed genes in the β-alanine metabolic pathway (acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, enoyl-CoA hydratase, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase, methylmalonate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase) suppressed tandem running and altered oviposition of paired dealates. These findings demonstrate that protein translation modification is an important regulator of tandem running behavior of termites, which implies that the succinylation and acetylation modification sites of ACP could be potential targets for insecticide action. Our research offers a potential approach for developing novel dispersal inhibitors against social insect pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Liu
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fei Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ali Hassan
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuguo Zhou
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Qiuying Huang
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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Goane L, Carrizo BN, Ruiz MJ, Bachmann GE, Milla FH, Segura DF, Kuzmich D, Walse S, Vera MT. Behavioural and Electrophysiological Response of Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) to a γ-Lactone Synthetic Semiochemical. INSECTS 2023; 14:206. [PMID: 36835775 PMCID: PMC9958615 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Attractants are a powerful tool for pest management. The lack of specific attractants for the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus, a complex of cryptic species of great economic importance in South America, makes it difficult to monitor the pest in the field. The γ-lactone male sex and aggregation pheromones of several Anastrepha species, naturally released in a 7:3 epianastrephin to anastrephin ratio, and a structurally related naturally occurring γ-lactone ((±)-trans-tetrahydroactinidiolide) with gem-dimethyl groups (dimethyl) at C(4), were evaluated as potential attractants of this species. Different age and mating conditions of A. fraterculus males and females were evaluated during electroantennography (EAG) and field cage experiments in which polymeric lures were deployed to contain 100 mg of attractant. Epianastrephin and dimethyl were EAG+ for all fly conditions, with epianastrephin eliciting the highest response for both sexes and immature flies showing greater responsiveness than mature flies. In the field cage experiments, immature flies were only attracted to leks; virgin females were attracted to leks, dimethyl, and both epianastrephin-anastrephin formulations (95 and 70 wt.% epianastrephin); mature-mated males were attracted to leks, dimethyl and 70 wt.% epianastrephin; and mature-mated females were only attracted to leks. Our bioassays showed a promising performance of the analog dimethyl since it elicited the same response as epianastrephin, requires fewer steps to synthesize, and contains one less chiral center than the natural pheromones. The attraction to leks was recorded for all mating conditions and ages of flies and suggests that air-borne volatiles of calling males contain cues that could act as sensory traps. The addition of any of these compounds in the synthetic attractants may result in a greater attraction and thus deserves further evaluation. Dose-response experiments will provide additional information to move a step forward and validate the results obtained in open-field conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Goane
- Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán T4000, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
| | | | - María Josefina Ruiz
- Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán T4000, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Guillermo E. Bachmann
- Instituto de Genética “EA Favret”, INTA, GV-IABIMO, CONICET, Partido de Hurlingham B1686, Argentina
| | - Fabian H. Milla
- Instituto de Genética “EA Favret”, INTA, GV-IABIMO, CONICET, Partido de Hurlingham B1686, Argentina
| | - Diego F. Segura
- Instituto de Genética “EA Favret”, INTA, GV-IABIMO, CONICET, Partido de Hurlingham B1686, Argentina
| | - Dan Kuzmich
- San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Parlier, CA 93648, USA
| | - Spencer Walse
- San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Parlier, CA 93648, USA
| | - María Teresa Vera
- Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán T4000, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
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Abstract
Mating produces profound changes in the behavior of female flies, such as an increase in oviposition, reduction in sexual receptivity, increase in feeding, and even excretion. Many of these changes are produced by copulation, sperm, and accessory gland products that males transfer to females during mating. Our knowledge on the function of the male ejaculate and its effect on female insects is still incipient. In this article, we review peri- and postcopulatory behaviors in tephritid flies. We address the effects of male copulatory behavior; copula duration; and the male ejaculate, sperm, and accessory gland products on female remating behavior. Many species from these families are pests of economic importance; thus, understanding male mating effects on female behavior contributes to both developing more effective environmentally friendly control methods and furthering our understanding of evolutionary implications of intersexual competition and sexual conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Solana Abraham
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Ecoetológicas de Moscas de la Fruta y sus Enemigos Naturales (LIEMEN), PROIMI-Biotecnología, CONICET, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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Kruuk LEB, Brosnan SF, Neiman M. Despite COVID: showcasing new research in evolutionary biology from academic care-givers in the middle of a pandemic. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20222131. [PMID: 36475441 PMCID: PMC9727660 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Loeske E. B. Kruuk
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sarah F. Brosnan
- Departments of Psychology and Philosophy, Neuroscience Institute, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, PO Box 5010, Atlanta, GA 30302-5010, USA
| | - Maurine Neiman
- Department of Biology and Department of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies, Provost Faculty Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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Patlar B. On the Role of Seminal Fluid Protein and Nucleic Acid Content in Paternal Epigenetic Inheritance. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314533. [PMID: 36498858 PMCID: PMC9739459 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The evidence supports the occurrence of environmentally-induced paternal epigenetic inheritance that shapes the offspring phenotype in the absence of direct or indirect paternal care and clearly demonstrates that sperm epigenetics is one of the major actors mediating these paternal effects. However, in most animals, while sperm makes up only a small portion of the seminal fluid, males also have a complex mixture of proteins, peptides, different types of small noncoding RNAs, and cell-free DNA fragments in their ejaculate. These seminal fluid contents (Sfcs) are in close contact with the reproductive cells, tissues, organs, and other molecules of both males and females during reproduction. Moreover, their production and use are adjusted in response to environmental conditions, making them potential markers of environmentally- and developmentally-induced paternal effects on the next generation(s). Although there is some intriguing evidence for Sfc-mediated paternal effects, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this review, the current evidence regarding the links between seminal fluid and environmental paternal effects and the potential pathways and mechanisms that seminal fluid may follow in mediating paternal epigenetic inheritance are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Patlar
- Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
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